Wow, that`s quite a trifecta of instruments to pick up one after the other. What made you want to pick up those instruments so quickly and one after the other?

Well, my parents made my sisters and I play piano before starting any other instrument, very much worth it. I started on Alto Sax, then picked up the clarinet with no problem. Started oboe after that and for some reason my mom bought me a flute after that out of the blue. I dont play sax anymore and flute is not really serious. I`m one of the only oboe players that have played oboe in marching band, well the first two years then i just said screw it, clarinet is for me. I did oboe on street and on field. We had bassoonists on the street too, but not on field, basically it was to get the "wind ensemble on the street" sound. We had to make reeds that worked outside and while moving, but it sounded alright in the entire context because the entire band was playing on concert instruments (i.e Euphoniums not baritones or "bell front" and French Horns not mellowphones). Although oboe and flute may be related in fingerings, that is besides the fact. They are completely different monsters all their own. As far as arrangements in a "band" piece and having the oboe have the exact same part as the flute, in my opinion, shows the lack of creativity and skill of the composer. I mean, not the same line or melody but basically the oboe part would be the flute part an octave down... give me a break.

well i dont play flute but i do play saxophone. I have been playing for 4 years now and heard the oboe a year ago and fell for it. I quickley researched and found myself a wooden oboe!!! 3 years old and a loree!!!! i bought it and i am now the oboist for the area youth symphony and have only been playing for 7 months!!!! Oboe is such an awesome instrument to learn. U feel special becuase not many play it. And if u get good, the sound is magnanamous hope this helped in your decision

I`d have to say that oboe and flute are not the same...not the same at all! The somewhat similar fingerings are such a minor part of playing the instrument, that they are insignificant. Breathing, and blowing on flute and oboe are at complete opposite ends of the spectrum: partly because of the aperture of our instruments. Flute requires a lot of air, and players focus on how to conserve their air while maintaining a true tone. On oboe, everything is different. We have way too much air, and we have to learn how to breathe out before breathing in, and how to get the air speed fast enough to have control the pitch.
Next of course, is embouchure. On flute, you have to have your bottom lip forward, and on oboe, you have to have your top lip forward. Flautists make more of a pursed, oval shape with their mouths, where as oboists set their jaw much lower, and have to focus on lateral pressure from the sides of their mouth.
In structure alone, flute and oboe are again very different. The oboe is a very conical instrument, starting very narrow at the staple, and then widest at the bell. Flutes, are mainly cylindrical, although some piccolos have some conicity to them.
There are many other differences of course between these two, but those are the major ones. And, in short, oboe and flute may have similar fingerings, but are completely different on all other aspects of playing.

D-oboe

this is sooo weird...i`m gonna be an incomming freshman in high school, and i`ve been playing the flute for 7 years and since i thought it was time to change my instrument, my best friend recommened me to play the oboe, cuz she played it. I tried playing it, and ur rite my embochure needs time to become stronger, but the fingerings are pretty similar. Im lucky and it all worked out for me, because im going to be doing flute in marching band, and oboe in regular band. I bought a fossati tiery oboe and have a private teacher. its working out fine for me. I need some practice, but who doesnt?

I see lots of messages in this thread about going from the flute to the oboe. I actually switched from the oboe to the flute when I was in high school. This was after 3 1/2 years of private lessons on soprano recorder (my mother was taking lessons on the tenor recorder). When I arrived at high school (1973) I tried the bassoon but the teacher said that I was too small for it (shortest in the class and not too big of lung power). He suggested the oboe which I thoroughly enjoyed and picked up quickly. Two years later during the summer break I picked up a friend`s flute and found it to be easy to play. On coming back to school in September, the band master was shocked when I announced that I was going to play flute from then on. I wound up in the marching band that year and as 2nd flute for the symphonic band. Now at 27 years after graduating high school, I just got a Selmer Bundy II on eBay for $45! It`s amazing how much the brain retains after all of these years. Same thing with a new $20 pear-wood recorder from Sam Ash Music. Hmmm, I wonder what a used oboe goes for these days? ;-)

i know is is not really about switching from flute to oboe but i played drums for three years and this year i am going o be a freshman in highschool and it will also be my first year playing oboe and i am really happy. We only have three in my whole school(counting me ^0^). I LOVE it. It was kind of hard at first but it is getting much better the fingerings are good, and i already know the notes(from bells) and the rhytms.

If you are ready to commit to the oboe, then it will certainly pay off in the future. The oboe has such a beautiful tone once you get it... and it takes hard work. It took me 3 full years to learn it, and I am now in my freshman year of high school.
Since it`s marching season, I double as a flute. [A pretty good one, but I love my oboe better.] Anyways, I am teaching some beginner oboes some basics right now and so I get the feel of the nervousness.
Anyways, oboe players are RARE and it takes such commitment to it in order to successfully master it. I hope you will take your time as needed and look forward to another great oboist! After all... oboists are the best!

It is not that hard to switch from the oboe to Clarinet but I do not know about the other way around. I know bacause im in the process of learning the Clarinet. The only thing that seemed hard was the felling of the mouthpiese and the reed. from swithching between. My friend plays the flute and I tried to learn it a couple of years ago but that seemed to hard. I just gave up, Good luck.

I want to learn to play the oboe myself! I am switching from flute to oboe. My symphonic band at schools needs oboes since our one and only (great) one is graduating this spring. So I thought, what the heck, I will take a whack at it! I am still waiting to get things started as I am going to use a school oboe and my teacher needs to get everything straightened out. I want to have private lessons because I want to carry on until after high school but I do not know if we can afford it. Does any one know if oboe lessons with a private teacher are expensive?

Rachel says she wants to start oboe and I heartily encourage her. I didn`t start playing oboe until last spring after being a poor 3rd clarinet player for a couple of years. I was attracted to the sound and ability to be able to shape it more with the oboe.

I`m over 60 and failed at many instruments in high school. I learned the clarinet mostly on my own but have taken a few lessons on the oboe. I don`t want the pressure of weekly lessons. The first oboe player in our community band, recommended that I just jump in and switch to oboe this fall which I`ve done.

My progess is slow but I suspect a younger more talented person would gain more quickly. I`ve been told I have good tone and play in tune. The first oboe player has been great in giving me kudos and advice on improvement. I was told oboe players are elitist but everyone I`ve met has been encouraging but then I haven`t met any symphony oboe players.

If you can find a teacher to give lessons as you want them and you don`t need someone breathing down your neck to make you practice, then I don`t see a reason for weekly lessons. My 1st oboe mentor said the same thing. So don`t break your bank paying for lessons.

I do think that a few lessons from a practicing oboe player at the beginning is really useful. If there is a local military band, they might be a good source. Mine retired from the army field band. If you know anyone who plays oboe in your community, ask them for advice. You will probably get conflicting advice from different people, but you can sort out what works for you.

Theres a book"Art of Oboe Playing" by Robert Sprenkle and David Ledet that was recommended to me and is the best I`ve bought. Got it on Amazon but its available new. Also tells you how to make reeds. Even if you never make a reed, this will help in understanding how reeds work.

Have fun and go for it

Thank you so much! I will definitely go for it, thanks for the encouragement!

This is my first year to play the oboe and it`s really kool.It is really hard. Me and my partner have to be in the flute class. Alot of people ask why oboe in flute class and now i know why thanks.I`ll tell them

Hi Funky fluters oh yeah ok the oboe is so similer to the flute in so many ways it stupid, but i played the flute for like 4 years and then my band teacher was lk we need oboes in our band so if any one want to try see him blahblahblah, so like 8 of the flutes wanted to play oboe and we only needed 2so over the summer i praticed alot and was suprised that they where so alike.Going back to school and frist day of band i was the only oboe so it was kinda nice but i had to play by myself alot.I luv 2 play now itz fun:-).so try it.

I play all of the woodwind instruments without a problem.

The oboe and flute may both be C instruments, and have simiar fingerings, but the breathing techniques are the exact opposite of each other. With flute, you run out of air and have to inhale. On the oboe, however, you use so little air that you have to exhale before you inhale. In fact, you feel worse having too much air than from too little.

The switch can be done, but it`s very different.